If chewing food and retaining a sparkling smile is not enough for you, avoiding toothaches and a visit to the dentist could be reason enough to maintain healthy teeth. Ignoring your tooth health can lead to many problems. Answer yourself the following question. Would you like your teeth inside your mouth or in a glass tumbler beside your bed at nighttime? 

If you opted for the former, then going through the following tips and advices will go a long way in helping you sustain healthy teeth. They are:

1)  Brush and floss twice a day
Brushing and flossing twice a day, on a regular basis will help you maintain healthy teeth and gums in the long run. The ideal time to brush your teeth is 20 minutes after a meal. Opting for a toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles gives you better access to even the deeper portions of your mouth, thus providing comprehensive cleansing to your teeth. Moreover, softer bristles are generous on your gums as well.

2) Nutrition
Whatever you eat, either protects you or makes you more susceptible to diseases and disorders. This stands true for your oral health as well. As such, choosing the right foods early in your life is of vital importance. Foods such as cold drinks, cakes, candies and other such sugary substances facilitate the growth of germ and bacteria in your mouth, resulting in plaque and cavities. Choosing foods that are low in starch and sugar will reduce the development of germs and help eradicate cavities or plaque in the long run.

3) Smoking
Even the pack of smoke that you buy endorses smoking is injurious to your general health. Smoking causes reduced flow of blood to the mouth, which resultantly leads to increased chances of periodontal disease and mouth cancer. Smoking, moreover causes a decline in the ability of the bones and tissues to revascularize (self-heal). All else apart, just stop smoking.

4) Chewing gums
Chewing gums are highly beneficial especially after a meal. They not only increase the flow of saliva in your mouth, but also improves the flow of blood to your brain, thus enhancing your alertness by close to 10%. In addition, chewing gums help neutralize the acid in your mouth, thus helping you cleanse your mouth.

Tips to Maintain Healthy Teeth

A child s tantrums, especially during teens, are quite common. However, there could be some children who could be exhibiting an extreme version of these symptoms. This is known as oppositional defiant disorder.
Children with this disorder become easily irritable, angry, argumentative, defiant and feel vindictive against most elders (parents, teachers, and others). While this is something very common and can be ignored to be a part of teenage tantrums, the issue is when these symptoms do not seem to end. If they persist for beyond 6 months, it is time to worry. These may then begin to interfere with their daily activities including schooling, where they may not be easy for the teacher to manage.

Diagnosis of ODD: With the changing behaviour of teenagers, it is often difficult to pinpoint and say there is ODD. However, some guidelines for diagnosis are listed below. Angry/irritable, argumentative, defiant and vindictive. If these symptoms are seen for more than 6 months with no inducing reason, happens with non-siblings, and is affecting learning and playing, it is highly likely the child has ODD.

These symptoms can occur at home, at school, or in other settings   seen respectively in one, two, or more settings. Some of the symptoms are listed below.

Repeated temper tantrums
Anger bursts, swearing, using obscene language
Extremely argumentative, especially with people in authority (teachers, parents, etc.)
Annoying others and getting annoyed easily
Noncompliance to rules and regulations at school and institutions
Defending one s mistakes and blaming others for it
These result in poor academic performance, antisocial behavior, substance abuse, and higher suicidal tendencies.
Treatment

Treatment depends on the presenting symptoms, the age of the child, and supportive care available. The child should be able to actively take part in psychotherapy to reap good benefits. It would otherwise be a task with no results.

Psychotherapy will help the child improve its cope and express and control anger. This also improves problem-solving skills.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy tries to mould the behaviour.
If required, the parents also would be involved to improve family s involvement in the treatment. Caretakers are given special training if required so that they can support in long-term medical care.
The child also needs to be trained for appropriate behaviour under different circumstances.
Rewards for positive behaviour and punishments for negative behaviour are useful ways.
Prevention: Early identification can help in minimizing distress to the family and help in the early arrest of the disease. The family is also taught basic and simple steps which can help in supporting therapy. Early rejection at school and loss of learning, can happen which can be managed with early intervention. A nurturing and supportive family can help manage the child very well.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Kids - How to Deal with it ?

How to diagnose asthma in children

Asthma in children under the age of 5 is a matter of concern. It is not a rare disease and early diagnosis is important. Common signs of asthma in children are:

1. Recurring bronchitis
2. Wheezing
3. Discomfort in the chest
4. Coughing
5. Trouble breathing

While some children have persistent yet mild symptoms, some children have severe attacks at times. Seasonal allergies and smoke make the symptoms worse.

What to notice?
While feeding an infant, if you notice that your child is facing shortness of breath, it might be a symptom of asthma. In a toddler, if your notice a decreased desire to run and play, or easy fatigue, then this could be a symptom of asthma. Asthma attacks for many children under the age of 5 are worsened when they catch cold or have any other respiratory infections. All these, if noticed should not be ignored and your child's pediatrician should be consulted.

The above mentioned symptoms were mild. Some children have it worse and the attacks can be life-threatening, needing immediate treatment. If your child is under the age of 5 and you see them doing one of the following, contact emergency services immediately:

1. Trouble in speaking because they have restricted breathing
2. When they are breathing in, the effort is so much that the abdomen is getting sucked in
3. Gasping for air.

Diagnosing asthma in a child can be tricky as symptoms like coughing, wheezing, etc can be for other conditions also. Once a child is a little older and if the symptoms persist, breathing and lung function tests are taken to gauge the situation. 

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How To Diagnose Asthma In Children, Before It Attacks?

Which baby doesn't spit up their food! This is usually not a reason to worry, but if this spitting up is chronic and is accompanied by other symptoms it is known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Severe GERD can cause weight loss and breathing problems and thus, should not be ignored.

Reflux occurs when food is pushed out of the stomach and back up the esophagus. This is usually because the digestive system in babies is not yet fully developed. Vomiting often during the day is one of the most common symptoms of GERD. Other symptoms include:
- A persistent cough
- Choking or gagging while eating
- Refusing to eat
- Crying while feeding
- Heartburn
- Pain in the stomach

Most cases of GERD can be diagnosed by its symptoms and a look at the baby's medical history. In some cases, additional tests may be required, such as:

Barium swallow
The child is given a chalky substance to drink. This highlights the esophagus, stomach and upper part of the small intestines in a special X-ray. It is used to check if there are any blockages in the digestive system.
pH probe

A long, thin tube with a probe at one end is put down the child's throat. This is kept in the esophagus for 24 hours. The probe measures the levels of acidity in the stomach. This test is usually done when the child complains of breathing problems along with reflux.

Upper GI endoscopy
Here the doctor puts a thin, flexible tube down the child's throat. At one end of the tube is a camera that allows the doctor to look into the esophagus, stomach and small intestine.

Gastric emptying study
One of the causes of reflux is the slow emptying of the stomach. To check this, the doctor will mix a radioactive chemical with the baby's milk that allows a special camera to follow its path down the digestive system.

In most cases, GERD can be treated by making a few lifestyle changes. Some of these are:
- Raise the head of the baby's crib
- After feeding the baby, do not let him lie down, but hold him upright for half an hour or so.
- Change his feeding schedule
- Ask your doctor if you can try giving him solid food. Else, check if you can thicken his feed with cereal.
- Make the baby burp after feeding

Most infants outgrow this condition within a year, so do not stress yourself and enjoy life with your baby.

Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux In Babies

Risk factors and complication of scabies

Scabies is a type of skin conditions that causes itching and rashes. This dermatological condition is caused by Sarcoptes scabiei, a microscopic mite. It is a contagious condition, which can spread through physical contact. An estimate shows that scabies infects over 300 million people worldwide per year.

This eight-legged microscopic mite creates a tunnel in the human skin and lays eggs in it. These larvae move under the surface of the skin and spread across the whole body, once hatched. Dogs, cats, and mice can also be affected by this disease. It usually takes 2-6 weeks for the symptoms to develop. Signs and symptoms of scabies involve itching, rashes, sores and thick crusts on the surface of the skin.

Some of the risk factors of scabies are:

- Scabies spreads through direct, prolonged skin-to-skin contact with a person who has mites.
- An infected person can easily pass scabies to his/her household or sexual partners. Scabies in adults is usually sexually acquired.
- The likelihood of scabies increases easily under crowded conditions, which involve close body and skin contact. Nursing homes, prisons, and several types of care facilities are sites of scabies outbreaks.
- Immunocompromised, elderly and disabled people also suffer from an increased likelihood of contracting this skin condition.

Complications of scabies include:

- Persistent and vigorous scratching can break the surface of your skin, which can lead to secondary bacterial infections. Impetigo, a superficial infection, is a quite common occurrence in such cases.
- Crusted scabies, the most severe form of scabies, can be common in certain groups. People suffering from diseases such as HIV or leukemia who have weakened immune systems as well as severely ill people have high risks of contracting this condition. This condition, also known as Norwegian scabies, is very contagious and also hard to cure.



Must Know Risk Factors and Complication of Scabies

Both natural and homeopathic remedies can efficiently deal with lactose intolerance and thus you should check the reports of the patient for finding the best solution. You can choose any of these remedies or else can continue with both.

List of homeopathic medicines for treating lactose intolerance

    Aethusa Cynapium: The medicine helps in the digestion of milk so that unwanted stomach aches can be easily avoided. On the other hand, health condition of the kids can also be improved to a great extent using this medicine. Loose tools or green colour diarrhea due to dairy products can be prevented with care.
    Apis Mellifica: Milk allergies can be easily cured with this medicine and thus kids are often prescribed the drug by a homeopathic expert. A few symptoms are found in kids due to lactose intolerance like breathing difficulty, body itchiness, redness, swelling, skin rashes and others. All these symptoms can be treated by this homeopathy medicine.
    China Officinalis: This medicine is mainly prescribed to those kids for whom Apis Mellifica is not the suitable one. Flatulence, belching and bloating can be properly controlled or regulated by taking this drug regularly.  Excessive mucus formation, chest's rattling sound and excessive coughing might occur with dairy intolerance and these symptoms might get severe. This is the reason the doctors often prescribe this medicine as the best option. 

A few natural remedies for treating lactose intolerance

    Probiotics: These are specialized bacteria that not only help in improving digestion, but proper nourishment can also be gained. 
    Coconut milk: This is now considered as one of the leading substitutes for different dairy products. 
    Apple cider vinegar: Lactose intolerance signs can be completely eradicated along with the maintenance of body balance by consuming apple cider vinegar regularly. This is a natural product, and thus you can take the same regularly without taking a doctor's permission. 
    Fermented products: Kimchi and Sauerkraut are those fermented foods that can create helpful bacteria as a result of which the gut can be re-populated and digestive system can be regulated. The symptoms will get reduced slowly with the consistent intake of these foods.
    Yogurt: This can be taken with meals as it is enriched with beneficial bacteria that can help in digesting different other dairy products. With the consumption of yoghurt, Lactose can be broken down naturally, and on the other hand, digestion can be improved.

Homeopathic and Natural Remedies for Lactose Intolerance

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